Wire-stretcher.



.No. 762,327. PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

' W. R. LOTT.

WIRE STRETGHBR.

APPLICATION rum) APR. 15, 1903,

H0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

WILLIAM ROYAL LOTT,

OF NAVASOTA, TEXAS.

WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,327, dated June 14,1904.

Application filed April 15, 1903.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,-W1'LLIAM ROYAL LOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Navasota, in the county of Grimes and State of Texas, haveinvented a new and useful ire- Stretcher, of which the following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvements in wire-stretchers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofWire-stretchers and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient oneof great strength and durability designed for stretching fence-wires,both in the construction of fences and in the repair thereof, andcapable of being readily fulcrumed on a post or other support and ofexerting great power for stretching and holding the wire for stapling orotherwise securing the same to a post.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wire-stretcher of thischaracter capable of ready operation to draw the ends of a broken wiretogether for splicing the same.

Also the invention has for its object to provide a wire-stretchercapable of exerting great force in extracting a staple without liabilityof twisting or breaking the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire-stretcher having anoperating-lever adapted to be fulcrumed on a post at any point andcapable. of positively engaging the same without liability ofaccidentally slipping and loosening the wire.

Furthermore, it is the object of the present invention to provide awire-stretcher adapted especially for handling barbed wire and capableof enabling the same to be picked up from the ground and stretchedacrossa post without the hands of the operator coming in contact withthe wire and without liability of the operator being injured by thesame.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in theconstruction and novel combination and arrangement of partshereinafterfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointedout in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that variouschanges in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of constructionwithin Serial No. 152,779. (No model.)

the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire-stretcherconstructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation ofa portion of a fence, illustrating the manner of stretching a fence-wireacross a post. Figs. 3 and 4 are plan views illustrating the manner ofstretching the ends of a broken fence-wire for splicing and showing theposition of the parts before and after stretching. Fig. 5 is a detailView of one of the hooks.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the draw- 1ngs.

l-designates an operating-lever, preferably consisting of a rounded rodor bar, as shown in Fig. 1, and slightly tapered toward its inner endand provided at its outer end with a metallic cap 2. The metallic cap 2,which is provided with an inner cylindrical portion to form a ferrule orband for the outer end of the rod or bar, has a tapered outer portion 3to provide a pointed engaging end for the lever, whereby the latter isadapted to engage a fence-post at any point throughout the length of thesame without liability of slipping. The outer end of the rod or barforms a shoulder, against which the metal cap abuts, and the cylindricalportion of the latter may be secured to the rod or. bar in any desiredmanner. The rod or bar is preferably constructed of wood; butijt may bemade of any desired material, as will be readily understood.

The lever is provided at points approximately equidistant of its endswith bands 4 and 5 tapered to conform to the configuration of the leverand provided at diametrically opposite points on the samewith eyes 6 and7 for the reception of corresponding eyes of inner and outer hooks 8 and9. The hooks 8 and 9 are provided with elongated shanks or rods, theshank or rod of the inner hook8'being preferably of a length equal tothe distance between the bands, so that when the lever is in an uprightposition, as illustrated in Fig. lof the drawings, the upper hook willbe arranged approximately opposite the band for the lower or outer hook,and the lower or outer hook extends from the outer band to the metalcap. The shank of the lower or outer hook is of a length slightly lessthan the distance between its point of attachment to the lever and theouter pointed or engaging end thereof. Each hook is provided with a billor outer portion 10, arranged at an acute angle to the shank and bentbetween its ends at 11 to provide a flaring mouth for picking up thewire and a reduced or contracted inner portion for clamping the wire.The engaging portions of the hook are provided with flat faces to avoidcutting the/wires; but any form of wire-engaging face may be provided.The shanks of the hooks are of a length to permit them to be readilygrasped by the operator and to enable the latter to pick up a barbed orother wire without handling the same, whereby the hands of the operatorare elleetually prevented from being scratched or otherwise injured bythe barbs.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings is illustrated the manner of stretching afence-wire across-a post. The lower or outer hook is engaged with thewire, and the pointed end of the lever is fulerumed on the post adjacentto the point where the wire is to be stapled, and by oscillating thelever great power may be brought to bear on the wire, and the latter maybe readily stretched to the desired tension.

In drawing the ends of a broken wire together for splicing them thelever is arranged parallel with the wire, as shown in F 3, with itshooks extended outward and engaging the ends of the wire. The lever isthen rotated one-half of a revolution to turn it end for end and tocross the hooks, as shown in Fig. 3, whereby the broken ends of the wireare drawn together and overlapped. The ends of the wire may then bereadily spliced, and the wire-stretcher will hold them in properposition until this operation is efl'eeted.

The wire-stretcher is also adapted for extracting staples, and this iseffected by engaging the outer hook with the wire adjacent to the stapleand then fulcrurning the pointed end of the lever on the post. The leveris then oscillated to draw the staple out of the post. By withdrawingstaples in this manner they are not broken or twisted, as is the casewhen they are pried out of a post by an instrument having a sharp edge.Also there is no liability of cutting the fence-wire. The wire can benailed or otherwise secured to the post on which the stretcher ist'ulcrumed, and it is not necessary to employ a separate post or supportto form a fulcrum for the wirestretcher.

l-laving thus fully described my invention, what i. claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A wire-stretcher, eon'iprisinga lever provided at its outer end witha cap having an approximately cylindrical inner portion and providedwith a taperedengaging outer portion, eyes mounted on the lever atdiametrically opposite sides thereof, and hooks having elongated shankshinged to the eyes, substantially as described.

2. A wire-stretcher comprising a lever provided at its outer end with acap having an approximately cylindrical inner portion and provided witha tapered engaging outer portion, bands arranged on the lever andprovided at d iametrically opposite sides with eyes, and hooks havingelongated shanks hinged to the said eyes, substantially as described.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

\VlLLlAM ROYAL LOTT.

\Vitnesses:

\V. T. TlALIAFin-mo, S. H. FLARE.

